Apparatus por piling sheets op paper



Nov. 1, 1927. AXNER Re. 16,779

APPARATUS FOR PILING'SHEETS OF PAPER Origifial Filed July 7, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet l lave 7176 r G. E. MAXNER I APPARATUS FOR FILING SHEETS OFPAPER fify 7. 19 23 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original' Filed' /zvvev Zi'a 7fReissued Nov. 1, 1927.

LMU-NITEPSTATES .ononqn E. mAxNEa, or wnsr nun, NEW JERSEY."

APPARATUS FOR PILINGSHEETS OF PAPER.

Original. no. 1,628,195,

My invention relates "to apparatus for piling sheets of paper 'andotherlightmaterial, and has for an object to provide novel and improvedmechanism, for the purpose Specified which is particularly adapted foruse in piling printed sheets of paper coming from a ;printing press. v

To this end the apparatus is provided wlth members for engaging thesidesof thepile 1 of sheets ,of paper to exert pressure thereon and thuscause the sheets delivered upon the top of the pile, and also with meansfor blowinga current of air between the uppermost sheets the latter; aredeposited upon the pile. The air thus forcedbetween the sheets Ioperates to provide a cushion for the uppermost sheets, which permitsthe latter to float down upon-the pile and during such movement to bereadily moved into aposition by the pressure members so as to be moreevenly piled and thereby avoid the necessity of hand operation Thecurrent of an also operates to remove the static electricity accumulatedupon the sheets during the printing operation, and further serves to drythe printed sheets sufficiently to prevent smutching or o'flsetof theprinted sheets.

These and other features ofthe invention will be hereinafter describedand particularly pointed out in the clalms at the end of thisspecification. g In the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, Fig. 1 represents the delivery end of a printing presswith which the present apparatus may be used,

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; and Fig. .3 is a detail showing theoperation of the nozzles in connection with a pile of printed sheets.

Referring to the drawmgs, 10 represents a support or table upon whichsuccessive printed sheets 12 may be delivered from a printing pressrepresented by the endless belt 13 and fly 14, in the usual manner. The

successive sheets deposited upon the supporting table 10 are piled in aneat p1le by means of jogger boards or members 16 wh ch'are mechanicallyoperated in known manner, and are arranged to engage and lightly tap thesides of the pile of sheets in a manner well understood. V In order toassist the operation of the jogger boards, provision is made inaccordance with the present invention, for blowing dated April 5, 1927,Serial No. 650,131, filed July -7, 1923. -App'lication1or reissue filedSeptember-'26, 1927.; Serial No. 221,864. I

or directing a current of air or other gaseous fluid betweentheuppermost sheets of paper as :the latter aredepositedupon the pile onthe supporting table 10. The air thus blown betweenv the sheets locatedin the, path-of the currentof, air serves to separate the sheets fromone another and to provide a layer of air between adjacent sheets, whichforms an air cushion upon which the upper sheet floats and thengradually descends or falls lightly upon the next lower .sheet on thepile. During the gradual descent of the sheets, they arereadily moved bythe, jogger boards into current alignment.

The air thus blown bet-ween the sheets serves as a cushion for thesheets, causing them to float in air and descend gradually downward orfall lightly upon the next lower sheet on the pile, and during itsgradual descent enables the jogger boards to readily move it intocorrect alignment with the remaining sheets on the pile, so that a neatand correct piling of the sheets is obtained without injury to thesheets and without the necessity of hand operation. In addition the aircurrent serves to destroy the static electricity accumulated upon thesheet during its course through the printing press, thus avoidingliability of accidents and fire risk from this source, and also eflectina sufficient drying of the ink on the s eets to avoid smutching oroffset and its attendant losses.

As herein illustrated, the mechanism for blowing the air between theuppermost sheets of a pile comprises a blower 40, driven by a motor 42supplied with current from any convenient source, and both of which aremounted upon the top of a box 44. A series of discharge nozzles 46 aremounted in position to direct the air emerging therefrom between theuppermost sheets on the pile and as herein shown the nozzles 46 aremounted upon suitable brackets 48 secured to the jogger boards 16. Thesupporting table 10 upon which the pile of sheets is formed may andpreferably will be arranged to gradually descend as the pileaccumulatesthereon, so that the uppermost sheets of the pile are at all timesmaintained at a substantially constant level and in the'path of the aircurrent. By mounting the discharge nozzles 46 upon the jogger boards 16,the former are maintained at substantially the level of the uppermostsheets in the pile.

lltl

The discharge nozzles 46 are each connected by flexible pipes 50 andrigid pipes 51 having control valves 52 therein, to a common header 54connected with and leading to the blower 40. In order to assist indrying the print upon the paper sheets deposited in the pile from theprinting press, provision is preferably made for heating the air beforeit is discharged between the sheets, and as herein shown, the airdelivered by the blower is-caused to pass through a heater, herein shownas a coil of pipes 57 positioned within the box 44, and the latter maybe provided with an electric heater 58 of any known or preferredconstruction, having the usual cord 59 and plug 60 for use in theordinary lighting socket.

In operation, as the printed sheets are deposited upon the top of thepile, a current of air is blown under and over the uppermost sheet andalso between a small nu ber of the sheets immediately beneath theuppermost sheet, producing a condition such as is illustrated indetailin Fig. 3, in which such sheets are separate from one anotherandsupported by layers or cushions of air, and are permitted togradually float or settle downward into the pile. This affords time forthe jogger boards 16 to operate and align the sheets with the pile, andat the same time enables the sheets to be easily moved by the joggerboards before becoming stationary and a part of the pile. In this mannerthe sheets may be correctly piled withoutthe necessity of handoperations, and the piling accomplished with maximum efliciency.

While in the illustrated apparatus the inventionhas been shown as usedinconnection with a printing press in which the printed sheets aredeposited by a fly on to the pile, it may also with advantage be used inconnection with printing presses having other mechanisms for deliveringthe. sheets to the pile.

It will also be understood that. the. invention may with advantage beused for piling sheets of paper and the like in connection with machinesother than printing presses.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: s

I. The combination with a printing press having mechanism for depositingthe printed sheets in a pile, of jogger boards arran d on opposite sidesof saidpile and move le toward and from said pile to tap opposite edgesof each printed sheetasit is deposited on said pile, and air supp-lyingnozzles secured to said movable jogger boards to move therewith andtodirect opposing currents, of air beneath a plurality of the printedsheets to float the same on cushions of air while they are being tappedby said jogger boards to align them.

2. The combination with a printing press having mechanism to deliverprinted sheets in a pile, a pair of nozzles located at each sideadjacent the corners of the pile thereof, their orifices being arrangedto direct opposing currents of heated dry air across'the pile and aboveand below the sheets as they are piled by the press, means to supply airunder pressure andmeans to heat the air prior to its deliver vfrom thenozzles.

. G ORGE E. MAXNER.

